Abstracts

Horror Movies as Witchful Thinking: False Society, Fake Films, Phonic Forces and Other Hexed Issues in Cinema 1922–2012​This essay takes off from: a) the play of names, signs and allusions as well as the references to social/political power formations inherent in horror film and its history; b) a quotation from Theodor W. Adorno’s according to which “false society”, that is, a society based on capitalist rationality, is the “principle that casts a spell over everything” (“das Prinzip, das alle verhext”). Along these lines, and drawing heavily on the powers of punning (as poor people’s deconstructionism), the hexed questions of political theory and a witchful thinking that runs through cinema and its insight-generating capabilities are traced in their mutual entanglement. The relevant names and titles that come into play here are Witchfinder General (1968), Suspiria (1977), Berberian Sound Studio (2012), Häxan (1922), Jules Michelet, Herbert Fux and, above all, Mark of the Devil (1970).

Keywords: Theodor W. Adorno, deconstructionism, critical theory, political theory, horror cinema, social history, social theory, cinema as a site of insight, punning.

Is Mark of the Devil an Example of Transgressive Cinema? Georges Bataille’s Philosophy of Transgression and the Cinema of the 1970sWitchploitation films of the late 1960s – like Mark of the Devil (1970) – were often criticised for exploiting inquisitorial violence such as torture and rape for the sake of pure sensation. While the exploitative manner of dealing with historically based violence is clearly an issue, at the same time the question of what effect these depictions of extreme violence might have on the audience should be raised. Every culture has its own defined and accepted limits, which are made by collective agreement. Reaching and transgressing these limits amounts to the transgression of an interdiction, of a taboo. This article discusses the representations in the media of the act of transgression – commonly associated with the work of the French philosopher and novelist Georges Bataille – as a collective moment of fear, and raises the question of whether or not this could generate a ‘transgressive cinema’. And in particular it asks: are witchploitation films transgressive?

Mark of the Devil: Topographical and Topological PerspectivesIn our article the exploitation films Mark of the Devil (1970) and its sequel Mark of the Devil Part II (1973) are analysed considering spatial theories of Jurij M. Lotman and Hans Krah. A special emphasis is put onto the connection between the filmic representation of violence and space. In examining the films, the opposition between natural and un-natural space(s) such as meadows and forests vs. the marketplace, the tavern or the torture chamber in which different kinds of violence can occur will be discussed in relation to the legitimisation of violence and the aspect of power with regard to space. The main thesis is that violence and torture predominantly occur in un-natural spaces, whereas scenes in nature are mostly dominated by the association of pleasure and happiness. With regard to un-natural spaces a distinction between inside/private and outside/public spaces can be made, since in the former non-legitimised violence is applied, whereas in the latter quasi-legitimised violence predominates. Moreover, the topographical distinction between top and bottom which becomes frequently obvious in the films reflects the topology of power and powerlessness.

Christ the Victim and the Representation of Sexualised Pain: A Feminist/Queer Theological Reading of Mark Of The DevilThis article reads the films Mark of the Devil (1970) and Mark of the Devil Part II (1973) as Christian works of art both in their intent and in their historical connection with the artistic images of sexualised pain present in many Christian architectural spaces (churches, oratories, chapels etc.), at least from the fourteenth century onward. Some examples of such images are briefly discussed. After presenting the classic feminist argument for rejecting exploitation movies in toto, this article discusses new strands of Christian theology which are open to the exploration of the subtle connections between pain, pleasure and spiritual ecstasy. Finally, it points toward the overcoming of moral sweeping condemnations of all representations of sexualised pain, as a matter of acknowledging the complexity of human sexual feelings.

Spectatorship and Punishment: The Tension Between Macabre Voyeurism and Moral Impulse in Mark Of The DevilThe article analyses Mark of the Devil (1970) and examines the role of empathetic imagination and voyeuristic pleasure in the process of film reception, as proposed by cognitive approaches to film studies. It focuses on key features of the narrative (unpunished crimes and unjust suffering) and emphasises accordingly the fundamental ambivalence of spectatorship (sympathising vs. sadistic looking), while discussing the modes of viewing connected to different concepts of voyeurism and related questions about moral dilemmas. The article underlines the notion that, by showing scenes of torture in such a naturalistic manner, this mode of storytelling encourages voyeurism, while the excessive injustices contained in the plot are just as strong a driving force, motivating moral reflexions on the action. The article also scrutinises the film’s self-reflexive nature via an analysis of a key scene, and presents related moralist and metafictional interpretations of the film.

“After the Sex Wave the Hex Wave?” The German Marketing of Mark Of The DevilThis article examines the German marketing campaign of Mark of the Devil (1970) using the example of two advertisements. The film suffered from a sustained conflict between Michael Armstrong and Adrian Hoven, who both asserted their claims to creative control. The dispute over the movie’s authorship left traces in an article published by the regional daily Stuttgarter Zeitung based on a longer advertisement commissioned by distribution company Gloria. The Filmmuseum Düsseldorf preserves a significantly modified version of this advertisement; both texts and their promotional rhetoric are analysed at length. These written marketing materials accentuate features such as historical authenticity, excessive sexualised violence, star appeal, (trans-)nationality and topicality. Actually, the film was promoted as a fictional response to purported contemporary witch cults in Germany and the UK. Furthermore, the partial and ridiculed reprint of the original text in the newspaper illustrates distribution companies’ great difficulty in obtaining press coverage of exploitation pictures. The article argues that the advertisements’ striking incoherence results from the attempt to target audiences with different interests by trying to appeal in divergent ways that could motivate cinema-goers to purchase a ticket. The article concludes by recognising the predominant role of extreme violence in the marketing strategy as a means of product differentiation.

Witchfinding in General and the CensorsThis article examines why it took 33 years before Mark of the Devil (1970) could be distributed in its complete form in the UK. It shows that when the film was first submitted to the British Board of Film Censors in 1970 the cuts required were so extensive that no exhibitor was prepared to show it. Although released on video in 1981, it soon found itself on the Director of Public Prosecution’s list of videos which were liable to seizure and possible forfeiture under Section 3 of the Obscene Publications Act, and it was not submitted on video to the British Board of Film Classification until 1993, when four minutes and 20 seconds of cuts were required. In 2003 it was re-submitted on video, and this time escaped with only 38 seconds of cuts. Eventually, in 2015, it was released completely uncut on video. In order to help to pinpoint the elements of the film which the BBFC found so objectionable and problematic, the article compares its treatment at the hands of the Board with that of Witchfinder General (1968). The article concludes by briefly tracing the film’s censorship history in Australia and Germany.

Keywords: Mark of the Devil, Witchfinder General, British Board of Film Censors, British Board of Film Classification, torture, violence, Obscene Publications Act 1959, John Trevelyan, Index.

Mark of the Auteur: Mark of the Devil’s Blu-Ray Release and the Cult of AuthorshipThe disputes between writer/director Michael Armstrong and producer/original scriptwriter/director Adrian Hoven play a key role in Mark of the Devil’s (1970) production history. This article explores how the bonus features included on the movie’s Blu-ray/DVD combo release tell the story of Mark of the Devil’s production, in general, and Armstrong and Hoven’s roles, in particular. In the process, this article demonstrates that the ancillary materials do not merely relay the events that transpired behind the scenes, but, in fact, further deepen the drama surrounding these events in order to nurture interest in the myths associated with Mark of the Devil and thereby prolong its cultural presence. ​Keywords: Mark of the Devil, authorship, paratexts, bonus features, cult cinema.